China's Youngest-Ever Astronaut Crew Embarks on Mission to Tiangong Space Station

China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, launched into space in 2003, marking a historic moment that signaled China's emergence as a space power. Over the past twenty years, China has solidified its position as a significant player in space, mirroring its economic, political, and military advancements on Earth. Notably, China now boasts a fully functional space station, serving as a permanent outpost in orbit, where crews regularly reside and conduct operations.

On Thursday, a trio of Chinese astronauts embarked on a six-month mission to the Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft, taking off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center situated in the remote Gobi Desert. Notably, this crew holds the distinction of being the youngest ever assembled by China, with an average age of 38. During their time on board, one of their primary objectives will be to rectify the damage caused by space debris to the station's solar panels, marking the inaugural occasion of Chinese astronauts conducting extravehicular repair tasks.

China's sixth manned mission to its space station since 2021 is underway. The incoming crew is preparing to relieve the Shenzhou-16 astronauts, who have been on board since May.

The crew was bid farewell with grandeur before the launch, as government officials and supporters lined the road to greet them. The three astronauts acknowledged the crowd's presence by waving, and the spectators responded by proudly displaying Chinese flags and flowers. Accompanied by a band playing patriotic songs, the atmosphere was filled with collective singing from the enthusiastic crowd.

Following his personal journey to space, Yang has witnessed the departure of numerous Chinese astronauts on their respective missions. However, the launch on Thursday held a particular emotional significance, as it coincided closely with the 20th anniversary of his own groundbreaking flight.

Expressing his sentiments as an experienced professional, Yang emphasized the remarkable advancements and accomplishments of China's manned spaceflight program over the past two decades. Speaking to CNN at the Jiuquan center on Wednesday, prior to the launch, he stated, "When observing this launch as a veteran, the foremost impression that strikes me is the immense progress and remarkable feats that China's manned spaceflight has achieved during this 20-year period."

The Tiangong, also known as the "heavenly palace" in Chinese, was completed late last year and is one of the two space stations currently in orbit. It has a lifespan of 15 years and may be the only one remaining after the retirement of the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) in 2030.

China has revealed its intentions to enhance the Tiangong in the upcoming years by adding three additional modules to the existing three. This expansion will accommodate more astronauts concurrently and allow for a larger capacity. Currently, the Tiangong can house a maximum of three astronauts, whereas the ISS can support up to seven.

Yang expressed his excitement at witnessing a new generation of Chinese "taikonauts" assuming the responsibility. He stated, "Through them, I observe the potential of our backup personnel and the promising prospects for the future advancement of China's aerospace industry." Among the members of the Shenzhou-17 team, Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, are relatively new additions, having joined China's third group of astronauts just over three years ago.

Led by Tang Hongbo, 48, who comes from the second group of astronauts in the country, they are a team of astronauts. Tang, a former fighter jet pilot, participated in China's inaugural manned mission to its space station in 2021, and his subsequent return to the Tiangong broke the record for the shortest time between two space missions by Chinese astronauts.

Chinese astronauts Jiang Xinlin, Tang Shengjie and Tang Hongbo, who will carry out the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 26.

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Chinas space ambition

Tiangong has come to represent China's ambitions and capabilities in space, as Chinese astronauts have been excluded from the ISS, a collaborative effort led by the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada, for over two decades.

Since 2011, NASA has been prohibited from cooperating with China due to espionage-related concerns, as mandated by the Wolf Amendment passed by Congress. This limitation has, at least partially, motivated Beijing to construct its own space station.

China has made efforts to increase collaboration with international partners by welcoming experiments from other countries to its station. This opportunity will become even more attractive once the International Space Station (ISS) is retired in approximately 2030. Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut and ISS commander, mentioned that NASA has engaged with various private organizations to establish commercial space stations for their astronauts to work in. However, he expressed uncertainty about the success of these endeavors.

Other nations engaging in spaceflight, particularly human spaceflight, have been in discussions with China. This is because if China is the only option available, these companies or countries can only participate in human spaceflight through them. This will remain the case until commercial space stations, partially supported by NASA, are launched and functioning. Beijing has been using its increasing influence as a global space force to provide collaboration and growth prospects to other nations.

China and the United States are engaged in a fierce competition, not only in terms of economics, technology, and geopolitics on Earth but also in space. For the US, its space program has been at the forefront since the fall of the Soviet Union. However, there are increasing concerns among American observers and politicians that China's rapidly advancing space capabilities could soon pose a challenge to US dominance.

Concerns have heightened due to a succession of significant and prominent accomplishments by China. In 2019, China achieved the milestone of being the initial country to successfully land on the far side of the moon. The subsequent year witnessed the successful deployment of its ultimate Beidou satellite, positioning China to compete with the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Furthermore, in 2021, China became the sole country, alongside the US, to achieve the feat of deploying a functional rover on Mars.

China has larger ambitions beyond this. It aims to retrieve the very first samples from the unexplored far side of the moon next year. Additionally, China plans to send astronauts to the moon and establish an international lunar research station by the end of this decade. Several nations, including Russia, Venezuela, and South Africa, have reportedly joined China's proposed lunar station. The main obstacle for China's space program, according to retired NASA astronaut Chiao, is acquiring the operational expertise possessed by organizations like NASA.

"We have decades of experience operating spacecraft, space shuttles, and space stations. Our extensive knowledge and expertise in training astronauts on space operations give us a clear advantage, while others are still trying to catch up," he stated.